Indian minister resigns amid protests; demonstrators hail 'democracy wins'

India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned, a move that has sparked celebrations among thousands of protesters who had been demanding his ouster. The demonstrations, which have been among the largest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in years, centered on alleged irregularities in medical entrance examinations.

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The developments over the past ten days have made me very sad.

Following his resignation, Pradhan posted on X, formerly Twitter, stating his decision was driven by a desire to prevent the current situation from being "exploited by forces that work against the nation." He further explained his aim was to preserve the country's unity and ensure students could "focus on their studies and their future" without being drawn into prolonged legal processes.

The protest movement, which refers to itself as "the people's party of cockroaches," celebrated the minister's departure, declaring "Democracy wins." This group, founded in May, adopted the moniker after a judge compared unemployed youth seeking activism to cockroaches. The widespread protests have put significant pressure on Prime Minister Modi's administration.

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To ensure that the current situation is not exploited by forces that work against the nation, that the country's unity is preserved and that no student is drawn into prolonged legal processes, but instead can focus on their studies and their future, I have submitted my resignation to the Prime Minister.

Pradhan's resignation submission to Prime Minister Narendra Modi came after ten days of escalating protests. He expressed deep sadness over the recent developments, indicating a significant internal political struggle. The "cockroaches" party has been a vocal critic, demanding accountability for the perceived flaws in the medical education examinations.

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Democracy wins